Shahid Malik to be punished if he abused public purse, warns Brown

Gordon Brown warned today that Shahid Malik would be disciplined after being reinstated as a minister if any abuses of his expenses are found.

The Prime Minister stressed that MrMalik, like all MPs, would have his expenses examined by a new independent body.

"Mr Malik, like every MP, will have to go through that process," he said. "If there's any difficulty or impropriety, action will have to be taken.

"In all cases where MPs are investigated now, repayments will have to be made where necessary, punishment will have to be meted out, discipline will have to be enacted."

The system was needed to give MPs a "clean bill of health" if they deserved it. The Prime Minister defended his decision to bring the Dewsbury MP back as a communities minister after he stood down last month as justice minister following allegations he had rented his constituency home at a below-market rate.

Mr Malik was reappointed after being cleared of getting his home on a preferential rate.

But Mr Malik has faced fresh allegations in the Daily Telegraph that he billed the taxpayer to rent an office in his constituency home.

He is alleged to have claimed more than £6,000 for a second office in his constituency.

The MP is understood to have dismissed the claims as "complete fabrication" and to be consulting his lawyer.

Mr Malik said: "I have never claimed anything from the public purse for any living accommodation apart from that which is permissible."